Between 2 Brands Podcast

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Episodes

312

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

In this weekly podcast - available in both audio and video formats - industry thought leader Bill Petrie, CAS, welcomes a guest week to share some candid thoughts on the world of marketing, branding, and branded merchandise with a heavy dose of wit and humor. Also, Bill asks "Five Easy Questions" to each guest that are not always what they seem. Tune in every Friday at 7:00 AM Central!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 12, 202638 min

Ep. 74 - John Cudahy from SAAGNY

Oh, you know it’s time to drop Ep. 74 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In today’s opening shot, Bill asks why no one seems to be buying World Cup merch and gives some possible answers. Afterwards, Bill is joined by the Executive Director of SAAGNY, John Cudahy. They discuss a wide range of topics including the challenges of managing a board, the move of Promotions East from Atlantic City to New York City, and whether private equity money is good or bad for the industry. HUGE thanks to our pals over at SHEPENCO for sponsoring this fine broadcast. For 90 years – and four generations of family ownership – they have defined stability by caring about the success of their distributor partners. Head over to shepenco.com to start your next project today!

June 5, 202642 min

Ep. 73 - Bobby Lehew from commonsku

Better buckle up because it’s time for Ep. 73 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In this week’s opening shot, Bill talks about “pre-vacation brain” and the very interesting bond between celebrations of life and branded merch. He is then joined by the Chief AI Officer at commonsku, Bobby Lehew. They discuss his journey from distributor to service provider, take a deep dive into AI and the use in the promotional products industry, and compare notes on speaking in front of people professionally. This is a great conversation and one you don’t want to miss. BIG thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re ready to be the partner your clients want – one that delivers unique, custom, and bespoke branded merch designed exclusively for them – reach out to Russ and his team at sales@sevensourcing.com.

May 29, 202636 min

Ep. 72 - Rachel Levin from HALO Branded Solutions

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for a brand-new episode of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. To kick off Ep. 72, Bill shares some industry quick hits of the happenings in the world of branded merchandise After that, he is joined by the Vice President of Sales for HALO Branded Solutions, Rachel Levin. During a wide-ranging chat, they discuss what she’s learned at each stop during her career, the importance of mentorship, and take a VERY interesting dive into the psychology of branded merchandise from an end-user point of view. There are some outstanding takeaways here, so get your notepad ready! HUGE Thanks to our friends over at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking for the lowest minimums, deepest inventory, 5-star and A+ service – you know you can BEL Promo that!

May 22, 202635 min

Ep. 71 - Kenny Ved from Fossa Apparel

You KNOW it’s time to drop Ep. 71 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast like it’s hot! This week in the Opening Shot, your host, Bill Petrie, talks about the curious move of a shoe manufacturer pivoting 180 degrees to become an AI infrastructure company – a truly bizarre story. After that, he is joined by Fossa Apparel’s Chief Revenue Officer, the one and only Kenny Ved. During a thoughtful conversation, they discuss lessons he learned being the face of a large supplier, the goals he has for Fossa, his thoughts on peer recognition, and they debate who should be on the Mount Rushmore of Comedy. Trust us, you don’t want to miss this! This episode of Between Two Brands has been brought to you by the good people at CoasterStone – home of the original absorbent stone coaster. With that combination of stone-cold quality, striking decoration, low cost-per-impression, retail packaging, and unmatched value, David Glenn and his team at CoasterStone are ready to help you make a ROCK-SOLID impression with your clients. Email them at promo@coasterstone.com today!

May 15, 202632 min

Ep. 70 - Emily Codner from iPROMOTEu

It’s the Ides of May which means it’s time to drop Ep. 70 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In today’s opening shot, Bill talks about the branding of American institutions with the personal brand of the sitting president PURELY from a marketing (not political) perspective. After that, Bill welcomes Emily Codner from iPROMOTEu to the show where they discuss her industry journey, the need to elevate women in our industry, her thoughts on attending her first PPAI LEAD event, and why Hanson is the greatest band in the history of ever. HUGE thanks to our pals over at SHEPENCO for sponsoring this fine broadcast. For 90 years – and four generations of family ownership – they have defined stability by caring about the success of their distributor partners. Head over to shepenco.com to start your next project today!

May 8, 202641 min

Ep. 69 - Nenette Gray from Lemonade Creative Marketing

Buckle up, buttercup, because it’s time for Ep. 69 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In the Opening Shot, a VERY fired up Bill talks about the lessons he learned the hard way about posting on social media this week. After that, he is joined by the Founder of Lemonade Creative Marketing, Nenette Gray. During a wide-ranging chat, they discuss the courage it takes to start a business, lessons she’s learned along the way, the challenges she’s faced being a black woman in an industry traditionally dominated by white males, and why mudbugs might be the greatest food on earth. It’s truly an amazing conversation with an equally amazing human, and one you’ll enjoy. BIG thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re ready to be the partner your clients want – one that delivers unique, custom, and bespoke branded merch designed exclusively for them – reach out to Russ and his team at sales@sevensourcing.com.

May 1, 202627 min

Ep. 68 - Alok Bhat from PPAI

Happy May Day! To celebrate, let’s drop Ep. 68 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast! This week in the Opening Shot, I share my thoughts about the passing and the lasting legacy of a true industry titan, ASI’s Chairman Emeritus, Norman Cohn. Then I am joined by the Market Economist and Public Affairs Lead at PPAI, Alok Bhat and we talk about his journey to the branded merchandise space, juggling leading research and public affairs, and a sneak peek at PPAI’s upcoming Global Economic Study. Alok shares some truly fantastic insights that you don’t want to miss. HUGE Thanks to our friends over at BEL Promo for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re looking for the lowest minimums, deepest inventory, 5-star and A+ service – you know you can BEL Promo that!

April 24, 202642 min

Ep. 67 - Josh Ellis from PPAI Returns

It’s absolutely time for Ep. 67 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In the Opening Shot, Bill talks about the merch questions surrounding the “America250” celebration this year. After that, Josh Ellis from PPAI returns to the podcast where the conversation ranges from different leadership styles at PPAI to the new “PPAI Expert Voices” program to goals when speaking. Heck, we even touch on how he’s feeling one year into giving up adult beverages. It’s a fantastic chat and one you won’t want to miss. This episode of Between Two Brands has been brought to you by the good people at CoasterStone – home of the original absorbent stone coaster. With that combination of stone-cold quality, striking decoration, low cost-per-impression, retail packaging, and unmatched value, David Glenn and his team at CoasterStone are ready to help you make a ROCK-SOLID impression with your clients. Email them at promo@coasterstone.com today!

April 17, 202642 min

Ep. 66 - Mitch Silver from Printable

It’s the Friday of Tax Week here in the USA, which means it’s time for a white hot episode of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie! To kick off Ep. 66, Bill shares some of the learnings he had from the ASI Top Places to Work list – and there’s some real gold here. Then he is joined by Mitch Silver from Printable, the number three distributor on the aforementioned list. They have a fantastic conversation about the importance of company culture, how to cultivate it, and some really fantastic tactical advice to implement some of the ideas that were discussed. Oh, and don’t end the podcast early as Mitch surprised Bill with a “rapid fire” that you don’t want to miss! HUGE thanks to our pals over at SHEPENCO for sponsoring this fine broadcast. For 90 years – and four generations of family ownership – they have defined stability by caring about the success of their distributor partners. Head over to shepenco.com to start your next project today!

April 10, 202636 min

Ep. 65 - Lindsey Davis from Charles River Apparel

Buckle up because it’s time for Ep. 65 of the Between 2 Brands #podcast with your host, Bill Petrie. In the Opening Shot, Bill talks about what one regional association is doing to completely flip the standard script on driving membership value – and it’s amazing. After that, he is joined by the Vice President of Sales of Charles River, Lindsey Davis. During a wide-ranging chat, they discuss working for family-owned companies, navigating the sale of a business and transitioning to working for the purchaser, and lessons in sales leadership. It’s a really engaging conversation and one that’s truly worth listening to. BIG thanks to our pals over at Seven Sourcing for sponsoring this fine broadcast. When you’re ready to be the partner your clients want – one that delivers unique, custom, and bespoke branded merch designed exclusively for them – reach out to Russ and his team at sales@sevensourcing.com.